Book support



Jan. 5, 1943; v. T. LITTLEJOIHN 2,307,144

BOOK SUPPORT Filed April 13, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet l Y I] Vance fliillg'ohry Jan. 5, 1943.

v. T. LITTLEJOHN 2,307,144 7 BOOK SUPPORT Filed April 13, .1942

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Iance Z LIJZZZgbhI I/ Patented Jan. 5, 1943 U NITED STATES PATENT O FFICE w BOOK SUPPORT Vance T'. 'Littlejohn, Greensboro, N. "C. "Application April-'13, 1942, Serial No. 438,822

. 9 Claims.

My invention relates to'certain newand useful improvements in means for supportin-g'a book-on a table, desk, or other like body; in an open position, and so as to be easily readable.

Primarily, the present invention has for'its object to provide certain new and useful improvements in and to the book support which constitutes the'subject matter of my application for patent filed January 19, 1942; Ser. No.'427,381,in virtue of which the scope of usefulness of a support of that character may be increased.

The present invention not only enables :an ordinary book (bound at a side) to be supported as disolosedin my prior application aforesaid, but enables one to support a spirally bound stenographers notebook in open position for convenient readability.

Again, the present invention has for its object to'provide means for supporting books whose covers along the backbone are glued down, such as some typewriting'manuals.

Another object is to provide a book *support having means for'holding down the-pages of the book being supported.

Other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out hereinafter.

To the attainmentof the-aforesaid objects and ends the invention still further resides in the novel details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, all of which-will be first fully described in the following detailed description, and then be-particularly pointed out in the appended c1aims,"reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation showing my improved book support, supporting a spirally bound notebook.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the parts shown in i Fig. 1,,looking from right to left in that figure.

Fig. 3 is a detail central vertical section through the head of the supportand showing how the legs may berotated to a position where they may be enclosed between the leaves .of .a book to which the. support may be applied, when-not.

line 55 Fig. '7 is a -jview:.similar to Fig. .4;-showing a modified form of leaf holder.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a book holder for books having the cover glued down along the backbone.

Fig. 9 shows how the book-is'clamped to the shank of the support, partsof thebook being broken away.

Fig. 10 is a view of the parts shown in'Fig. 8, looking at the under side .(in Fig. 8) .ofthe shank, the legs being swung about 120from'their working position," shown in Fig. 8, and partly broken away.

Fig. his a detail central vertical section of the head end of the support with a leg in working position in dotted lines and in the non-working position in full'lines.

In the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all .0 :the figures, l represents the shank, which in the embodiment of Fig. 1 isround in cross section, and

2 indicates the head which isbifurcated. On the opposed faces of the furcations grooves 3 are provided which make an angle of 60 with the shank I.

Between the furcations the headl has a stopincline 15 against which the legs-8 ofthe device, when 'not in use,,lie (see' dotted lines, Fig. 3, .ands'dotxand dash lines;'Fig. 1).

Projecting from the head-land parallel to the shank I is a clip 6. When thespirals 16:01 the notebook l5 are placed on shankl some of them will be forced between "the shank l and the clip 6, thereby holding the device in place (Fig. 1)

The legs Bare pivoted on a pin 1 between the mfurcations andwhen'brought together the combined thickness of the legs is :slightly less than the space between "therfurcations of the head sozthat the legs can: be swung about the pivot pin 'l'from the full line position in Fig. 1 to the dot 1: anddash line position in that figure. The openings 9 in'the legs, for pin *1; are slightly elongated or larger in diameter than that of the pin so as .to permit thelegs to-be spread apart into grooves 3 (Fig. 5).

The legs 8 have feet II) which, when the device V is in use (Figs. '1 and 2), rest on the desk,table, etc., along their lengths and hold the shank I parallel to-the desk, table, etc. on which the device is set.

When using the support on ordinary books l8, which are bound on a side and have a space between-the back I1 and the leaf rib, the parts assume the position shown in Fig. 6, the feet resting:on theirjtoe ends.

The ends of the legs 8 which are located in the head I are beveled as at I I so that those ends will lie in contact when the legs are spread apart in the grooves 3 (see Figs. 4 and 5).

The head 2 is provided with slidable leaf holders l2 secured in place (in the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive) by clips I4 and having stops or finger-pieces l3. In the modified form (Fig. 7) the leaf holders l2 are slotted bars secured in place by screws-14 there being one holder l2 on each furcation Z of the head. In Fig. '7 those parts which correspond to similar parts in Fig. 6

bear the same reference number plus the index letter a. 7

Referring now to the modification shown in Figs. 8 to 11, inclusive, it will be ,seen that I have cated head at one end of the shank, a pair of legs one end of each of which is pivoted between the furcations of the head, the opposed faces of the head having leg-receiving grooves located at angles of approximately 60 to the shank, said 4. A book support comprising a shank, a bifurcatedhead at one end of the shank, a pair of legs provided a flat shank l9 carrying the bifurcated head 20, grooved at 2|, and carrying a pivot pin 22. The shank I9 is recessed or cut out, as at 24, to receive clamp blocks held in place by thumb screws 26 or the like (Fig. 8). Opposite the blocks 25 the shank I9 is formed with a clamp rib 23.

In this form of the invention, as in the others, the legs 28 have beveled ends 21 and feet 29, the latter being parallel to and beneath theshank l9 when in use and spread apart so as to lie in the 60 grooves 2|.

In use the glued back 30 of the hook is placed on the shank [9 between the stops 25 and clamping rib 23 and the screws 26 are tightened firmly to grip the book (Fig. 9). The covers 3|-32, of course, rest on the table, desk, etc. on which the book is supported, with the leaves 33 exposed to view.

By making the angle of the grooves 3 and 2| 60, instead of 90 as shown in my application aforesaid, the prop is made more substantial, a better balance is ensured, the support takes up less space on the table or desk, and it is possible to use practically all types and sizes of typewriting manuals and spirally bound stenographers notebooks as well as ordinary books in connection with the invention.

Other advantages of my invention will readilyappearto those skilled in the art.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is thought that the construction, operation and advantages of the invention will be clear to those skilled in the art.

What I claim is:

l. A book support comprising a shank, a bifurcated head at one end of the shank, a pair of legs one end of each of which is pivoted between the furcations of the head, the opposed faces of the head having leg-receiving grooves located at angles of approximately '60" to the shank, said legs being capable of being spread apart to lie in said grooves or brought fiatwise together for pivotal movement, and means to mount said shank on the back of the book to be supported.

2. A book support comprising a shank, a bifurcated head at one end of the shank, a pair of legs one end of each of which is pivoted between the furcations of the head, the opposed faces of the head having leg-receiving grooves located at angles of approximately 60 to the shank, said legs being capable of being spread apart to lie in said grooves or brought fiatwise together for piv-*' otal movement, means to mount said shank on the back of the book to be supported, and feet on said legs, said feet lying parallel to said shank when said legs are in said grooves.

one end of each of which is pivoted between the furcations of the head, the opposed faces of the head having leg-receiving grooves located at angles of approximately 60 to the shank, said legs being capable of being spread apart to lie in said grooves or brought fiatwise together for pivotal movement, means to mount said shank on the back of the book to be supported, and leaf holders mounted on the furcations of the head.

5. A book support comprising a shank, a bifurcated head at one end of the shank, a pair of legs one end of each of which is pivoted between the furcations of the head, the opposed faces of the head having leg-receiving grooves located at angles of approximately 60 to the shank, said legs being capable of being spread apart to lie in said grooves or brought fiatwise together for pivotal movement, means to mount said shank on the back of the book to be supported, feet on said legs, said feet lying parallel to said shankwhen said legs are in said grooves, and leaf holders mounted on the furcations of the head.

6. A book support com-prising a shank, a bifurcated head at one end of the shank, a pair of legs one end of each of which is pivoted between the furcations of the head, the opposed faces of the head having leg-receiving grooves located at angles of approximately 60 to the shank, said legs being capable of being spread apart to lie in said grooves or brought fiatwise together for pivotal movement, means to mount said shank on the back of the book to be supported, said means to mount said shank on a book comprising a clamp rib on the shank, at least one clamp block, and a screw to hold said block to the shank and cooperate with said rib to clamp the back of the book between them, and leaf holders mounted on the furcations of the head.

'7. A book support comprising a shank, a bifurcated head at one end of the shank, a pair of legs one end of each of which is pivoted between the furcations of the head, the opposed faces of the head having leg-receiving grooves located at angles of approximately 60 to the shank, said legs being capable of being spread apart to lie in said grooves or brought fiatwise together for pivotal movement, means to mount said shank on the back of the book to be supported, and leaf holders mounted on the furcations of the head, said holders each comprising a slidable bar mounted for movement parallel to said shank to project over the leaves of the book to which the shank may be applied.

8. A book support comprising, a shank insertable lengthwise between the back and the leaf binding of a book, a bifurcated head on said 3. A book support comprising a shank, a bifurshank, a pair of legs pivotally mounted in the slot between the furcations of said head, and transverse grooves -in thehead, said legs being constructed so that they may be spread apart at their free ends to lie in part in said transverse grooves when the support is in use to support an open book.

9. A book support comprising, a shank insertable lengthwise between the back and the leaf binding of a book, a clip'on said shank to overlie the top edge of the book back, a bifurcated head on said shank, a pair of legs pivotally mounted in the slot between the furcations of said head, and transverse grooves in the head, said legs being constructed so that they may be spread apart at their free ends to lie in part in said transverse grooves when the support is in use to support an open book.

VANCE T. LITTLEJOHN. 

